Machine-gun



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No. 502,185. Patented July 25, l 555555 mi. z mugnmnnuInmmlngunilmmunumummm 5 nriuum ngi |.N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet A2.

MACHINE GUN.-

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N0.A502,l85. Patented July 25,1893.

n TTan STATes PATENT @Ferca RICHARD J. GATLING, OF HARTFORD,CONNECTICU".

` MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming 'part of Letters Patent No. 502,185, datediuly 25,1893. Application filed September 10, 1.892. lSerialllo. 445,492. (Nomodel.)\

.Connecticuh have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachine-Guns, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact speciiication.

The invention relates to the class of machine guns commonly known asGatling guns,

the object being to providea gun of this class which can be readilychanged so as to be fired with great rapidity either by hand or bypower, the`\power driving' 'mechanism being so constructed that'it maybe quickly removed, or attached in suc manner that it is out of sightand not a mar` forhostile projectiles or in the way of the gunners; andfurther to so construct the mechanism of the gun thatl the parts may bequickly removed and assembled, and enable cartridges of small caliber tobe used and positivelyextracted after being fired.

To this end the invention resides in a gun having a frame or casingsupporting'a cylindrical cam and a central revolving shaft bearing coilsof wire, a group of barrels and a cylinder with reciprocating locks, andin details of the construction of these parts, as more particularlyhereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

4Referring.; to the accompanying drawings:- Figure 1 is a side view ofone of these guns of the class known as the army gun. Fig. 2 is a planof the same. Fig. 3 is aside view of one of these guns of `the classknown as the navy gun.7 Fig. 11 is a plan of this latter gun. Fig. 5 isa plan of the revolving parts of one of the guns. Fig. 6 is an enlargedcentral longitudinal vertical section of the butt of the gun shown inFig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section on plane denoted by the broken line a' c.'Fig. 8 is a section on plane denoted by b b. Fig. 9 isa section on planec c. Fig. 10 is a section on cl (L Fig. 11 is -a view of the breechbfthe barrels and their holder. Fig. 12 is a section of a portion of thesame. Fig. 13 is a sectionof the cani cylinder; aud Fig.- 14 shows top,bottom, side, sectional and end views VAof one ofthelocks, i

In the views 1 indicates the trunnion frame which consists of a pair ofmetallic bars con- *the cascabel.

nected together at their front ends' by a crosspiece 2, and at theirrear ends by the casing This cylindrical casing 3 is divided dialmetrically and the upper part hinged to the lower so thatit may be thrownopen to expose the interior when its catch is released and the casing4,that is screwed upon a mutilated thread on the end of this casing, isremoved. A shaft 5 passing -through the center from end to end of thegun is supported at the front by the cross-piece of the frame and at therear end by the cascabel plate or a bearing in It is preferred that thisshaft be formed in two sections joined back of the casing 3 by means ofa coupling G so that the rear portion of the shaft may be separated fromthe forward portion and removed. Keyed to theshaft are the barrel disks,the front disk, 7, being perforated and holding the barrels near theirmuzzles, while the rear disk, 8, is perforated and holds the butts ofthe barrels which are provided'with lugs 9. The disk 8 is chambered andin the chamberis placed a disk 10 of hard steel, havinga numberofmortises in its periphery to receive and hold the lugs projecting fromthe ends of the barrels, so that the barrels are prevented from twistingor turning under the strain of the bullets as they pass through theriding. The lock carrier cylinder 11 is keyed to the shaft directly backof this disk 10 so as to hold the disk is place,-and in grooves in thiscylinder slide the locks 12 as they are reciprocated by the cam cut inthe interior of the cylinder 13 that ts into the casing 3 which has asocket to receive a pin 14 thatprojects fronrthe cylinder so as toinsure the correct-location of the parts.

Each of the locks 12 consists of a block 15 which forms a breech block,having a tongue 1G-that runs in a groove'in the carrier block and a lug17 that tits the cam groove so that the locks are reciprocated by thecam as the carrier revolves with the locks asin the common Gatling gun.In a central perforation through .each lock-block is placed a springfiring pin 18 having a head 19 adapted to enr gage the cooking switch 20located on the interior of the cam cylinder back of the recoil block 40,as in the common construction, while in a longitudinal mortise in thetop of the block is an extractor 21, having a hooked forward ,endadapted to engage the upper portion of the rimof a cartridge, and in amor- ICO forward by means of the spring 23,1116; elasticvr tail of thisextractor riding on a ro`il iii'heV` bottom of the mortise.

A diaphragm 24 with a bearing for the center shaft is located in the.rear ot' the casing 3 behind the cam cylinder, and this diaphragm isdivided, the upper part 25 being hinged to the lowei` so that it may belifted when the top of the casing is lifted,to allow a tree removal ofthe locks from the grooves in the carrier block.

In the construction shown, to the central shaft `5 is keyed a core 2G ofmagnetic mafterialwith a common winding of wire 27 forniing an armatureof an electric motor which when ,electrically excited rotates the shaft,while loosely mounted upon the shaft is a frame 2S which bears anelectro field magnet 29. To the frame 28 of this field magnet is secureda gear 30 that meshes into gears 31 secured to shafts 32 which arejournaled in the ends of a coupling 33-and which bear gears 34 in mesh'with a gear 35 secured to a ydiaphragm 36 extendingacrossl the forward-end of'this easing. codplingSS-isv'lrmovablyscured to the'cnd of theshaft of A the gun where the usual crank-handle would be attached, andalsoto the extension of the shaft which bears the armature of theelectric motor.

The held magnet is wound in the customary manner and connected with itssource of excitation in any common manner, and the armature isalso woundas usual and connected in the ordinary way with any suitable source ofelectrical supply.

To start the gun into action the motor is excited byv alcurrent ofelectricity. The construction and arrangement described are such thatthe armature revolves in one direction, and being connected with themain shaft revolves it and operates the gnn,while through the medium ofthe intermeshing gears the eld revolves in an opposite direction inorder that the revolutions of the armature may be slowerso that the-speed of the tiring may be better regulated.

At the forward end of the casing 3 in the frameof the gun shownand`describedin scenes them from 'the gun, as in the Gatling gun incommon use. e

In the form of gun shown in Figs. 3 and i, the barrels are surrounded bya shell 39 for nearly their' entire length, and in this shell water oranysnitable coolingliquid may be placed to keep down the temperature ofthe barrels. In this form the upper part of therear e'nd of the casingand the hopper are hihged'to a portion of the shell, the hopper shown inthis connection being that of conimon form which is designed to receivethe ordinary drum'feed used with guns of this class. I

I claim as my inventionl l. In combination with the frame of a machinegun, a revolving shaft bearing an armature a group' of barrels and aVinortisedV cylinder holding reciprocating locks, a casing inclosing afield magnet adjacent to the armature, and a cylindrical cam in the pathof the locks, substantially as specified.

2.' In combination with the frame of a inachine gun, a revolving shaftbearing an armature a group of barrels and a mortised cylinder holdingreciprocatinglocks, a casing supporting a cylindrical cam in the path ofthe locks, and a casing detachably 1secured Ato 'the formerA casing andinclosin-g a field magnet adjacent to the armature, substantially asspecified. I

3. In combination with the frame'of a ina'- -chine gum-a revolving shaftbearinga group of barrels'and a mortised cylinder. holdingreciprocating. locks, a sectional hingedcasi-n'g supporting acylindrical cam in the path of the locks, a hopper hinged to the frameadjacent to the breech of the barrels, and means for revolving theshatt, substantially as specified.

4. In combination with the frame of a machine gur, a revolving shaftbearing a group of `barrels and a' Amortised cylinder holdingreciprocating locks, a sectional hinged casing supporting acylindrical-cani in the path of the locks, a sectional hinged diaphragmat therear of said casing, a hopper hinged to the frame adjacent to thebreech of the barrels, and means for revolving the shaft, substantiallyas specified.

5. In combination with the frame of a machine gun, a revolving shaftbearing a mortised cylinder holding reciprocating locks, and disks,holding a group of barrels, the rear one of saidfisks being yformed ofa portion with circular penforations and a portion of harder metallhaiving mortisesadjacent tothe circular perfoiations,'baire1s with lugsprojecting from their-rear ends into said morti'ses, a casing supportinga cylindrical' cam in the'path vot`the locks,'and means for revolvingthe shaft, substantially asl specified.

RICHARD J. GATLING.

Witnesses;

H. R. WILLIAMS, CLARENCE E. BUCKLAND.

ITO

